On Saturday night, top-ranked and reigning national champion Florida State opens its football season against Oklahoma State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Former Seminoles who hail from the Lone Star State and reside there are excited to welcome FSU back for the first time since the 1992 Cotton Bowl.

And FSU fans and boosters who also call Texas home are just as excited to show their hospitality and prove that, yes indeed, everything's bigger in Texas.

"People are coming out of the woodwork," said Gabriel Kirkpatrick, 38, the president of the FSU Alumni Association for the Seminole Club of North Texas who earned a Master's degree from FSU (2000).

"It's going to be a great time and we are blowing it out. By the time you leave here, we will leave an impression on you."

Former FSU players such as offensive lineman Montrae Holland (1999-2002), cornerback Clifton Abraham (1991-94) and defense end David Warren (1997-2000) - the trio reside within 30 minutes of each other in Texas - are expected to be on the Seminoles' sideline for the game.

Holland, who played nine seasons in the NFL, including four (2008-11) for the hometown Dallas Cowboys, plans to keep a keen eye on FSU's heralded offensive line.

The unit returns four of five starters, headlined by senior tackle Cameron Erving and senior guard Josue Matias. The duo has been side-by-side fixtures in the starting lineup for 28 consecutive games.

While Erving was the ACC Jacobs Award winner last season and named All-American by eight outlets, Holland believes Matias (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) can be dominant in the run and pass games. He is expected to be tested tonight.

Oklahoma State returns only four starters on defense, but the unit is known for being physical and smart. Many believe the unit will also rely on pre-snap disguises in an effort to confuse FSU quarterback Jameis Winston and his offensive line.

"Matias can be a very, very special player because he has all the ability in the world," said Holland, who resides in Dallas. "I am just waiting for him to totally dominate anyone who lines up in front of him."

Abraham, who lives in DeSoto - 15 minutes or so away from AT&T Stadium – can't wait to see the reaction of FSU players and fans inside the stadium.

The facility, which opened five years ago and is home to the Dallas Cowboys and their owner Jones, is known for its striking architecture and the unbelievable size of the center-hung video board above midfield -- 72 feet by 160 feet on all four sides.

The video board reportedly cost more to construct than the entire former Cowboys Stadium.

Abraham has attended high school football games that are played in the stadium.

Abraham, of course, plans to keep a close eye on FSU's secondary during the game.

The unit has been tabbed as one of the nation's best and it features three players – P.J. Williams, Ronald Darby and Jalen Ramsey – projected as high NFL Draft selections.

The unit is also known for its size - coach Jimbo Fisher has not signed a defensive back shorter than 5-foot-11 in the past three years – and physical abilities.

Abraham, at 5 feet 9, also likes the players' versatility.

"When you have that kind of versatility and diversity, that helps make the players interchangeable," said Abraham, who played both field and boundary corner.

Abraham, whose oldest son Cliftin III attended Florida A&M in Tallahassee and planned to study law, is also thrilled the Seminoles have regained their status among the elite in college football.

"I am happy for them – they are keeping that Seminole tradition going," Abraham said. "I am not surprised they are so successful. They are just playing ball and playing as a team. That's what I see."

FSU fans started to arrive in the Dallas-Forth Worth-Arlington area – it is the largest metropolitan area in Texas, the largest in the South, and the fourth-largest in the United States – as early as Thursday.

There was plenty planned for boosters and fans.

A garnet and gold crowd of at around 4,000 was expected for Friday night's party at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth – it's billed as "The World's Largest Honky Tonk" with 127,000 square feet.

While Saturday's pregame tailgate party has been sold out (3,500 are expected) for weeks, a number of other restaurant and bar options were available for fans.

FSU sold around 15,000 tickets to the game, but many more Seminole fans are anticipated in the stadium crowd of 80,000.

Kirkpatrick, a native Texan, knows firsthand that FSU features one of college football's most fervent fan bases.

And the wait is nearly over.

"Cab drivers, bus transportation and shuttle guys have been indicating to us that demand, because of the quick in and out transit, will be just as big traffic-wise as the (2011) Super Bowl was," said Kirkpatrick, owner and operator of a food truck.

"We are as hot as we've ever been. As fans, you realize how fortunate you are. .. the kids going to Tallahassee now or have been there for a year or two are back in the mindset that we don't lose football games."